mahi

Issue 5114 June 2019

Election candidates called for

World Refugee Day – June 20

THIS October, the city will elect its Mayor and 12 Councillors for the Invercargill City Council.

ICC is also managing the election process for the Bluff Community Board, where five people will be elected, and the Invercargill Licensing Trust, for which there is five positions.

ICC will host a candidate briefing at the Civic Theatre on Wednesday, 26 June from 5.30pm, and a candidate’s handbook has been produced for anyone and everyone considering standing for election this year.

Deputy Electoral Officer Michael Morris said the candidate’s briefing will be the first opportunity for people considering local politics to hear about what their

duties would be as an elected member, and the election process.

“We will also talk a little bit about rules like advertising for campaigns, the use of social media, and donation rules,” Mr Morris said.

“If you’re community-minded and passionate about the issues facing Invercargill, Bluff, and surrounds, we encourage you to come along to the briefing, or visit Council’s website for more information.”

Nominations open on July 19.

More information is available at www.icc.govt.nz/elections

EARLIER this year, in March, marked one year since Invercargill became home for many Colombian refugees.

Next week, Thursday, June 20, is World Refugee Day.

Here are three ways anyone can support World Refugee Day:

1. Volunteer your time with a community group or organisation supporting refugees.

2. Donate to a community group or organisation supporting refugees.

3. Be a friendly, supportive Southlander! Be kind and welcoming!

New Zealand Red Cross caught up with some of our newest Kiwis a year after they settled in our city. (PTO)

Do you feel strongly about the future of your city?Now is your chance to give local politics a go and have your say.

June 20

World Refugee Day

Haere mai Welcome

mahi 14 June 2019

“A country of opportunities”

GIGGLES and laughter can be heard from outside a typical white Kiwi weatherboard house in a quiet suburb of Invercargill. If you stand close enough, you may catch a few English and Spanish words being spoken inside the home.

It is inside this warm and inviting house that Albeiro, his wife Edilia and their three children, Carolina, David and Karen, are rebuilding their lives after fleeing violence in Colombia. One year ago, their lives changed radically – the five of them moved to New Zealand, a country they knew very little about. They were among the first former refugees to settle in Invercargill.

It is a typical evening for the new Kiwi family. Their three Red Cross Refugee Support Volunteers, now life-long friends, are also there. Everyone is gathered in the lounge area and listening attentively to one of Albeiro’s many encounters with their friendly neighbour.

“Not long after our arrival, I was practising a lot how to greet my neighbour. I wrote down: ‘Good morning, neighbour,’ and read it over and over. I went to greet him, but I forgot [what to say so] returned to my paper and read multiple times: ‘Good morning, neighbour.’ Finally, I learnt it. So, one day, I went to the garden, where he was, to impress him, and said to him: ‘Good morning, neighbour!’ My neighbour responded by saying: “Buenos dias, vecino!” [‘Good morning, neighbour,’in Spanish], says Albeiro, prompting everyone to burst out laughing.

He had no idea his neighbour knew Spanish or had been practising to say hello, too.

Albeiro’s laugh is contagious. Despite the language barrier, his passion is clear, making anyone he interacts with wanting to listen to his stories. Speaking English is still a big challenge for Albeiro, but it isn’t stopping him from being very happy in Invercargill.

BY ELODIE BERTHE New Zealand Red Cross

“This is a country of opportunities. If you have dreams here, they can be fulfilled,” says Albeiro.

Albeiro is certainly making the most of these opportunities. With the help of New Zealand Red Cross’ Pathways to Employment, Albeiro has found full time employment. He works for Yunca, a local heating manufacturing company. Yunca was struggling to find skilled and hard-working people, so it made sense to work with Red Cross to find the right candidate.

When Red Cross staff brought Albeiro to the business, he was hired on the spot.

“When Albeiro came in, we took him through the factory,” says Kylie

Lewis, Yunca’s National Sales Manager.

“He was interested, he clearly showed that little sparkle in his eye that he really wanted to get his hands dirty and come and

work here and have a crack. He’s just been fantastic, really. He’s

awesome.”

The team at Yunca is very pleased with Albeiro, so much so that they have now

employed Elkin and Robinson, two other former refugees now living in Invercargill.

“We definitely say [with] no hesitation they are very keen and willing to work. And giving them the jobs after coming to New Zealand, you know, it’s been a huge journey for them. This is life changing really, for them. It helps them become Southlanders quicker, doesn’t it, or Kiwis, you know?” says Kylie.

Albeiro’s youngest daughter, Karen, is also adapting to the Kiwi lifestyle. She was impressed when she found out that schools in New Zealand use tablets, which means she doesn’t have to carry too many books. She also feels like school provides a good learning environment.

“For new children who come to the school, they don’t need to worry about having friends or being in a school

CONTINUED OVER PAGE.

mahimahi 14 June 2019

because the teachers have a lot of patience, they help you, they understand you and they explain it again. My friends also have patience and it is easy to have friends,” says Karen.

Carolina, Karen’s older sister, has also been busy finding her feet in Invercargill. She has already finished her English classes at the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) and has made astonishing progress with her English. Within less than a year of learning, Carolina has learnt to speak fluently.

Back in Colombia, Carolina had almost finished her studies, but these qualifications are not recognised in New Zealand, so she will need start from the beginning again. However, this is not stopping her from pursuing her dream to work in business administration. Since living in Invercargill, she has been working very hard to achieve her goals, and her determination and patience are an inspiration.

“I don’t mind starting from the beginning. Now I am living here – it’s a new beginning,” says Carolina.

“Red Cross was very good. The team asked me what I wanted to do. I said I wanted to keep studying, but they explained I needed to improve my English first. So, I asked to gain work experience in the meantime, in an office environment, so this would open doors for my life here in New Zealand. They helped me find this job, it’s very good.”

Carolina is starting a payroll course at SIT for four months and through the help of New Zealand Red Cross’ Pathways to Employment team, she is interning with H.W.Richardson’s payroll department. She goes to the office once a couple of times a week to gain work experience and receive mentorship.

“I really enjoy it here. My manager is very nice and makes me feel comfortable. She teaches me a lot of things and has a lot of patience. I’m learning a lot – about working for a Kiwi business, office environment and payroll,” says Carolina.

Renee van Geuns, H.W.R’s Payroll Supervisor, says Carolina has picked up things well. “I can’t believe how quickly she’s going through some of the work, so I always have to keep thinking of new things for her to do.”

Reece Oliver, H.W.R Group’s Financial Controller adds: “From what we’ve found so far, people who are coming into the community are really driven to be involved and to better themselves, and to be involved with that

from an employer’s perceptive, but from a personal perspective, is really gratifying and quite uplifting. It’s been a great experience.”

Carolina was also welcomed with open arms by Southland Radio, which was keen to support former refugees making Invercargill home. Carlos, another former refugee from Colombia invited Carolina to join his radio show ‘Sonidos Latinos.’ Carolina enjoyed it so much that after a few months, she has started her own show with her friend Adriana. Every Monday afternoon, Carolina takes over the studio of the local radio to host ‘Frecuencia Latina’ [‘Latino Frequency’], a music show to showcase the Latin American culture – from music to news, interviews and chats in Spanish.

The family is grabbing all opportunities available to them and for Debbie, Gerry and Mario, their three Red Cross Refugee Support Volunteers, being part of the family’s journey and sharing their successes has been a beautiful experience.

“Your heart feels quite warm… watching their progress over the year, and we can’t take any credit, because these people have worked so hard themselves. I really admire their courage and strength. Every success they have, just feels so wonderful and I am so incredibly proud and privilege to be part of their journey really,” says Debbie with a bit of emotion.

Red Cross Refugee Support Volunteers are the first local friends the families have on arrival. They help families find their feet, do their first shop, enrol in school, read their mail, make their way around the city, and so much more. For volunteers, it’s a unique experience to help a family settle in.

“With this work, you become lifetime friends. Invercargill is not a very big place... You know, you’re friends for life, that’s the joy in it. It’s become a labour of love, and I just continue to do it until I am not needed,” says Gerry.

Debbie adds: “You’ll gain far more than you’ll ever give.”

We are celebrating one year since Invercargill welcomed the first former refugee family to the city. Within one year, 88 new Kiwis, including Carlos, made Invercargill their new home.

New Zealand Red Cross is the primary provider of community refugee resettlement programmes in New Zealand, supporting and empowering new Kiwis as they rebuild their lives.

mahiHealth and Hygiene Bylaw to come into effect

Intersection work goes to plan

THE Invercargill City Council Health and Hygiene Bylaw becomes operative on 1 July 2019. The next step is to let all businesses involved know that registration is coming and what they will need to do to comply with the bylaw. A media campaign will also be organised.

Over twenty businesses will be involved in the education programme, which will be rolled out:

• Tattooing (7 premises)

Registration due July/ September 2019

* Body piercing (4 premises) Registration due October/December 2019

• Electrolysis (6 premises) Registration due January/ March 2020

• Acupuncture (4 premises) Registration due April/June 2020

We plan to make registration free of charge in the July 2019 – July 2020 year, to encourage as many businesses as possible to register.

We will also need help from the public to ensure we can register all operators, including those who may work from their homes.

Environmental Health Officers will be trained to make sure that they have the technical knowledge and skills needed to carry out inspections.

THANKYOU to everyone who took care over the past weekend while Council contractors undertook work in the intersection of Tay Street/Queens Drive/Elles Road, including night work.

This was part of the water main renewal project.

The intersection was able to reopen on Monday morning, as planned.

The next phase of the project involves a requirement to close the right-turning lane from Tay Street to Elles Road. This lane is expected to remain closed for several weeks while the water main replacement is undertaken near the centreplot on Tay Street.

We’ve included some photographs from last weekend’s work, including one of the old cast iron pipes we’ve been replacing – which are 100-years-old or more!

BY JUDY CHRISTIE Environmental Information Officer

14 June 2019

mahiCommunity feedback from Parks Week 2019DURING the Discover our Parks events, held during Parks Week in March, Healthy Families and Sport Southland representatives spoke with members of the community who attended the events to find out more about what they like, don’t like, and would like to see more of in our parks and reserves.

14 June 2019

PARKS WEEK INSIGHTS

Park facilities and amenities A range of needs should be considered to ensurea good experience for all park goers.

General feedbackOur parks and spaces need to be promoted more. They are great places for people to connect.

Playgrounds – ideasand feedback People value places that support play for all ages.

Biking and active recreation People are using our parks for unstructured recreation more and more.

Interactive/discovery/ exploratory activities and play Our community would like more wild play.

Safety Considerations People are more likely to use spaces where they feel safe.

Parks Our parks are one of the best things about living in Invercargill.

Community Our parks need to be reflective of our community and our changing society.

DURING PARKS WEEK 2019 THE INVERCARGILL CITY COUNCIL PARKS AND RESERVES DEPARTMENTAND HEALTHY FAMILIES INVERCARGILL ASKED THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THEY LOVE ABOUT OUR

PARKS, AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCLUDED IN THE FUTURE.

PARKS WEEK INSIGHTS

Park facilities and amenities A range of needs should be considered to ensurea good experience for all park goers.

General feedbackOur parks and spaces need to be promoted more. They are great places for people to connect.

Playgrounds – ideasand feedback People value places that support play for all ages.

Biking and active recreation People are using our parks for unstructured recreation more and more.

Interactive/discovery/ exploratory activities and play Our community would like more wild play.

Safety Considerations People are more likely to use spaces where they feel safe.

Parks Our parks are one of the best things about living in Invercargill.

Community Our parks need to be reflective of our community and our changing society.

DURING PARKS WEEK 2019 THE INVERCARGILL CITY COUNCIL PARKS AND RESERVES DEPARTMENTAND HEALTHY FAMILIES INVERCARGILL ASKED THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THEY LOVE ABOUT OUR

PARKS, AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCLUDED IN THE FUTURE.PARKS WEEK INSIGHTS

Park facilities and amenities A range of needs should be considered to ensurea good experience for all park goers.

General feedbackOur parks and spaces need to be promoted more. They are great places for people to connect.

Playgrounds – ideasand feedback People value places that support play for all ages.

Biking and active recreation People are using our parks for unstructured recreation more and more.

Interactive/discovery/ exploratory activities and play Our community would like more wild play.

Safety Considerations People are more likely to use spaces where they feel safe.

Parks Our parks are one of the best things about living in Invercargill.

Community Our parks need to be reflective of our community and our changing society.

DURING PARKS WEEK 2019 THE INVERCARGILL CITY COUNCIL PARKS AND RESERVES DEPARTMENTAND HEALTHY FAMILIES INVERCARGILL ASKED THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THEY LOVE ABOUT OUR

PARKS, AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCLUDED IN THE FUTURE.

mahi 14 June 2019

Key:Construction zone

Unaffected bus stop

Affected bus stop

Temporary bus stop

Proposed bus route

elles Road

traffic lights2019

Contact:Alarm Centre Installation John Webb 03 214 0591

Invercargill City Council David McCormick david.mccormick@icc.govt.nz (03) 211 1638

The traffic lights will be switched off and signs and roadcones will be used to control the intersection. This will allow straight through and left turning on Elles Road and only left turning on Martin and Janet Streets.

Council is renewing the traffic lights at the intersection of Elles Road, Martin Street and Janet Street on June 17 and 18.

June 17-18 2019

Construction Zone and Bus Diversion Route

Dalrymple St

Martin St

Elles RdElles Rd

Princes St

Maitland St

Dalrymple St

Grace St

Janet St

mahimahiStallholder spots filled for Matariki Festival

New contact number for Police

THE 2019 Matariki Festival in Esk Street is now only weeks away – and stall places are fully booked.

Dozens of stallholders and food trucks are planning to attend, with a wide variety of food options and stallholders coming from as far afield as Dunedin and Balclutha.

Food stalls are promising to dish up a multitude of tasty delights including traditional Japanese, Chinese, Indian, donuts and hot chocolate to keep you warm.

Meanwhile, stallholders include local crafters offering upcycled lampshades, decor, food, handmade items and more.

The entertainment will flow throughout the day with kapa haka groups, Cook Island drummers, singers, ukulele players and jazz bands.

While the adults explore the bustling craft market children can have a go at poi, the Play Pod, juggling or have their face painted with a Maori design.

Invercargill City Council City Centre Co-ordinator Shru Shrivastava said she is excited about this years’ event.

Shru has been working closely with Murihiku Matariki member Sharne Parkinson, who will provide weaving workshops on the day.

“Sharne has been a great help in organising flax weaving, art work in the SIT arcade, co-ordinating storytelling and has been working hard to recruit schools to provide artwork to decorate Esk Street,” Shru said.

After the kids create their very own work of art in Sharne’s weaving workshop, you can take a stroll down the SIT Arcade and view beautiful examples of flax weaving and fine art by local artist Bronc Morton.

Esk Street will sparkle with stars and lanterns made by children with craft packs supplied by the Murihiku Matariki group.

The Matatriki Festival is on June 29 in Esk Street from 10am until 4pm.

Bring your family and friends for a day of Festival fun and learn about the importance of Matariki.

TO help keep New Zealand as safe as possible Police have introduced a new way to report non-emergency situations.

105 (“ten five”) is the number for Police non-emergencies.

You can call this number to report things that have already happened that don’t need urgent Police assistance.

• Theft in a public place• Theft from a car• Intentional property damage• Shoplifting• Lost property

The number is available from both mobile and landline phones. It’s a free nationwide service available day and night for New Zealanders and overseas visitors.

As well as by phone, people can go online to the 105 website to report certain non-emergency situations, and get updates on or add more information to their existing reports. Currently, lost property, intentional property damage, shoplifting, general theft, and theft from a car can be reported at https://105.police.govt.nz/home

111 is the emergency number for Police, Fire and Ambulance.

Always call 111 in an emergency such as:

• When a crime is happening now – and the offenders are still there or have just left

• Someone’s in danger or badly injured• There’s a serious risk to human life or property• You see a major public hazard, like trees blocking

a road

14 June 2019

Meet the Astronomers!Saturday 22 June 11am – 1pm at the Invercargill Public Library

Are you a budding astronomer? Then we have the event for you! Members of the Southland Astronomical Society will be in the Library to talk about star gazing, astronomy, and of course Matariki! They will be bringing some of their equipment too! This will be a great opportunity to see some of their awesome equipment and find out about all the cool stuff they do.